Old Flames
by CharliBaker
Summary: When Detective Charli Kingston left the city, Peter Baker was devastated. Little did he know that she harboured a secret. Now she's back working on the stalker case...will the truth behind why she left finally be revealed? Peter Bakerother character
1. Default Chapter

Author's note: I don't own Home and Away or Detective Peter Baker (Unfortunately) But the character of Charli Kingston is entirely my own…Hope you enjoy :) Think of Charli as sort of being Claire…but, not. Please read and review…

Chapter One

Detective Senior Sergeant Charli Kingston was making her way towards Summer Bay. She was a 24 year-old woman from the city, Sydney, and one of the best undercover detectives around. She had been assigned to the stalker case in Summer Bay, alongside Detective Peter Baker. _Her _Peter Baker. The two of them had been at the Academy together, and had been together physically aswell, until she up and left. He didn't know why, but she did. For Charli, it was something that she had to do.

She walked into the station and tried to find someone who could possibly help her.

"Hey," Charli said to a uniformed officer "I'm Charli Kingston…I'm after Detective Baker." The officer looked at her, and then lead her through another door, along a corridor and left her just outside a small office.

"He's in there." The officer stated, and left.

Charli was stunned by the officer's sharpness, but quickly brushed the comment aside and knocked on the door in front of her. She was nervous. It had been two years since she had seen him. He had tried to contact her on many occasions, but she hadn't answered her phone. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to talk with him, but she couldn't.

"Come in." She heard. That was definitely Peter's voice. It sent shivers up her spine, it was ridiculous that a man like him could still do that to her.

She quietly opened the door and stuck her head around the corner. Peter was still transfixed with his papers and didn't bother looking up.

"You're desk's over there." He said, pointing.

"Thanks." Charli said, and walked over to her new desk and placed her bag on the desk.

Peter recognised the voice. He hadn't heard it for nearly two years. It couldn't be…could it?

He looked up and saw her. Charli…He had to supress the urge to run to her and kiss her. What was she doing there? _His _Charli. Back with him, after all this time.

"Charli." Peter said, barely above a whisper. Yet she still managed to hear, and turned around to face him.

"Hello Pete. How are you?" She asked politely.

Peter felt rude just sitting down, so he stood up and walked over to her.

"I'm good, better…now you're here." He told her, looking her over…as if he couldn't believe it was really her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm here to help with the stalker case. It looks like I might be here for a while Peter." She told him, truthfully.

"That's good to hear. It's great…fantastic to see you again. I've…I've missed you Charli." Peter told her. Truthfully, she had missed him too. Peter didn't know what impulsed him to do what he did next, but he pulled her into a hug and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He didn't ever want to let her go…and still he didn't know why she had left him in the first place, but hopefully the truth behind all that would be revealed in the time that she was there with him.

**When Detective Charli Kingston left the city, Peter Baker was devestated. Little did he know that she harboured a secret. Now she's back working on the stalker case...will the truth behind why she left finally be revealed? Peter Baker/other character**

**Old Flames**


	2. coffee leaves a bad taste

Chapter 2

They both sit down and get to work on the case. Peter still can't get over the fact that she's there, and it's even distracting him a bit, but he's determined to catch the Summer Bay stalker. He firmly believes that it's Sarah Lewis.

"How can it be Sarah? She's dead Pete. We've been over the evidence a hundred times." Charli told him.

"I still think it could be her. I want to have her body exhumed." Charli just rolled her eyes.

"Don't be crazy. We can't do that, and we won't be doing it. Sarah Lewis is dead! End of discussion." Charli said, and left to grab a coffee.

Peter quickly followed her out to the coffee room and poured himself a mug. It was disgusting, but it kept him awake. Charli got some too, and had the same look in her mouth. For her, Peter thought, it was nothing compared to whatever she'd get at Starbuck's in the city. She ignored him, and wandered back to their office.

Sitting down, Charli read and re-read all the case reports…but something didn't add up…and she was going to find out what it was.

It was getting on for 8.30pm and everyone had left the station, except Peter and Charli. She had been brought there to do a job, and she wasn't going to leave until she'd finished it, but that didn't mean staying all night.

Peter placed some reports back onto his desk, he was sure that Sarah Lewis was the Summer Bay stalker, and he wanted to find her. Charli had suspicions that Sarah was somwehow linked, but not involved.

"It's been a long day, why don't we head home?" Peter asked, breaking the awkward silence that the two had shared all afternoon.

"You can, I want to stay here and see if I can find anything." Charli told him.

"It's still going to be here in the morning, and nothing woul have changed by then." He said. Charli knew he was right, she hated it when he was right. Back in the Academy he had always been right, but she was always top of their class…and she wasn't about to let him show her up.

The two of them walked out of the station together, and Peter asked Charli whereabouts she was staying.

"Just a little apartment down near the beach." She said.

"Me too…what a coincidence." He told her, Charli herself thought it was rather odd…but still, said nothing.

Peter's car was in being repaired, so Charli offered to give him a lift home.

Once they got back to their houses, Peter offered Charli in for a drink.

"I promise, that's all Charli." Peter told her, she obliged, and went inside with him.

He had a comfortable life. His apartment was spacious, and very habitable. He had always had great taste in furniture, and it still showed.

He made them drinks, and after talking for a while, and reminiscing about the past, Peter brought up the subject of why she left.

I just…I don't want to talk about it. It's really late. I should get going." Charli said, clearly he had hit a sensitive spot with her.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, desperate to find out why his first ever love had walked out on him.

"No, you were perfect…you are perfect…it was, unplanned. I have to go. I'll see you in the morning." Charli said. She thanked him for the drink and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Peter was still in a daze as to why she had left in such a hurry, but he would find out when the time was right.

Hope you like my story…have you got any clues yet? Hehehe

Love me


	3. It's a date!

Chapter 3 

4 Weeks later

Charli had been in Summer Bay for 4 weeks, and had settled in fine. Her and Peter were getting on better than they used to back in the Academy.

One morning, Charli got up at 6.30am and went for a run along the beach. Summer Bay really did have a beautiful beach. She ran out of her apartment, wearing red sneakers, a pair of white shorts and a black tanktop. She ran down onto the beach and ran along the edge of the ocean. Her shoulder length golden-brown hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and today was her day off. It was also Peter's, but Charli hoped that she didn't run into him. She wouldn't, would she? He wasn't the kind to get up this early…and exercise? As she got closer along the beach, towards the diner, she noticed someone running from the water with a surfboard back to their towel. AS she got closer, she realised who it was…It was Peter. She tried to jog past him, but he noticed her and called out to her. She turned around, smiled, and jogged over.

"What are you dong out here on your day off? Shouldn't you be at home sleeping or something?" Peter asked her.

"Oh, so is that all you think I do then?" she smirked at him. He gave her a wink and bent down to pick up his towel.

"So, what's the water like? Cold?" Charli asked.

"Why don't you find out." Peter told her.

"Wh…" Charli started, but was picked up by Peter and taken out into the water. He threw her into the ocean and swam out after her. Charli swam out as far as she could, but Peter came after her. He caught up to her and started swimming round her.

"You could've at least let me take my shoes off." Charli said, through laughter.

The two of them played around in the water for a few minutes, until Peter noticed his brother Dan walking along the beach toward his things.

"Looks like my brother's after something. Surprise, surprise." Peter said, and started swimming back to shore. Charli followed him back in, and was surprised to see him wait for her.

"Hurry up, you always thought you were better than me at the Academy." Pete said.

Charli thought she'd leave Pete and Dan alone to talk 'brotherly', so she stole his towel, winked at him and ran back along the beach to her apartment.

"Well, you're up early bro." Dan said to Pete.

"Day off." He told him.

"So…you're up early? Anyway, Charli's back then." Dan stated, motioning to the figure running in the other direction along the beach.

"Yeah…so?" Pete said, trying to dry his hair with his hands.

"Well…what's happening with the two of you?"

"It's none of your business Dan, alright. Just leave it." Pete told him, and picked up his shirt.

"Why not? Since she's been in the bay, you've been a lot happier…that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Is it? I'm glad that you've noticed," Pete decided to cut the sharp tongue, "It is nice having her back, I mean…it's great to see her again. I missed her. Anyway, what's up with you? What are you doing down here?" Pete finished.

"Just going for a walk. I'm meeting Leah for breakfast. More wedding things to sort out." Dan said.

"Man, and you though that I'd be married first. Well, have fun mate. I'll see you later on. I've got to get my towel back." Pete said, and after shaking hands with his brother, proceeded towards Charli's house.

He knocked on the door, dripping with water after his early morning swim. As soon as Charli got home, she very quickly hopped into the shower and cleaned herself up. She heard a knock on the door, and knew it would be Peter. She answered the door, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Peter was standing there, dripping wet and his black t-shirt clung to his body, revealing his toned chest. Charli reached behind the door and grabbed his towel.

"I think that this is yours." She told him, dangling it in his face.

Thanks," he told her.

"You're welcome…just don't do it again." Charli told him, in a more serious tone.

"I won't, just…why don't you let me make it up to you?" Peter asked her.

"By doing what exactly Peter?" she asked.

"By taking you to dinner tonight. Would you let me do that?" Peter asked.

Charli thought about this proposition for a few seconds. Her certainly knew how to woo a lady,

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She told him, smiling. His face lit up. Maybe he was back in with a chance with her, maybe.

"Fantastic. I'll meet you here tonight…at 7 o'clock ok?" he asked, checking that it was alright.

"Sure, I'll see you then Pete." Charli told him. She watched him walk off and gently shut the door. Yes, she had to admit, he was still amazingly gorgeous, but she wasn't going to let this turn into anything serious…again. She had already had her heart broken by him before, although he was unaware of the reasons. Neither of them realised that tonight would be the night when Peter would finally find out the truth of why Charli had left him.

**Sorry that it was such a long chapter, I couldn't really find a place to break it**


End file.
